Alard, Francis

, of a noble family at Brussels, was
born about the beginning of the sixteenth century. His
father William Alard de Centier, a zealous convert to
popery, obliged him to enter the order of Dominican friars,
where he was much admired for his talents as a preacher.
While thus employed, a Hamburgh merchant, who was
pleased with his preaching, procured him privately the
works of Luther, which Alard read with conviction, and
the same merchant having assisted him in escaping from
his convent, he studied divinity at Jena and Wittemberg.
But the death of this faithful friend having deprived him of
resources, he ventured to return to Brussels and solicit assistance from his father. Before, however, he could obtain
a private interview with him, he was discovered in one of
the streets of Brussels by his mother, a violent bigot, who,
after some reproaches, denounced him to the Inquisition;
and when no persuasions could induce him to return into
the bosom of the church which he had left, his mother was
so irritated, as to call forth the rigour of the law, and even
offered to furnish the wood to burn him. Sentence of death
being pronounced, he was conducted to prison, but on the
night previous to the appointed execution, he is said to
have heard a voice saying, “Francis, arise and depart:”
how far this and other particulars of his escape are true, we
know not; but it is certain he cleared the prison, and after
some hardships and difficulties, arrived in safety at Olden ­burgh, where he became almoner to the prince. Here he
remained until hearing that freedom of religion was granted
at Antwerp, his affection for his native country induced
him to return, which he did twice, notwithstanding the
persecutions of the duke of Alba a.nd the dangers to which
he was exposed; and when his father came to see him at
Antwerp, in hopes of bringing him back to popery, he argued with so much power, as to make a sincere convert of
this bigotted parent. At length, when it was not longer
safe for him to remain in the Netherlands, Christian IV.
king of Denmark, gave him the curacy of Wilster in Hoistein, at which asylum he died July 10, 1578. His works,
| which are In Flemish or German, consist of, 1. “The Confession of Antwerp.” 2. “Exhortation of the Ministers
of Antwerp.” 3. “Agenda, or Discipline of Antwerp.”
4. “Catechism.” 5. “Treatise on original Sin,” &c. 1

1

Moreri. Biographic Universelle.< Decus Alardorum scriptis clarornm,
Hamb. 1721, 2 vols. written by his great-grandson, Nicholas Alard, who died
there in 1756.

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